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James McManus
James Connor MacManus is a Corporal in the Starfleet Marine Corps and recent addition to Alpha Squad on Gaia. Background James was born April 11th, 2141 in Galway, Ireland. The only son and oldest child of William and Shauna, his father died when James was only two. Shauna was left with a young son and a newborn daughter, and raised the pair as best she could. Growing up, James was generally in trouble for one reason or another. His fascination with blowing things up came early in life, as he ran odd errands for a neighbor...who turned out to be a former bomb maker for the IRA. Taking a shine to the young lad, he began instructing James in the science/art of high explosives. In an attempt to keep James occupied, his mother set him down in front of any book she could get her hands on...and not letting him "run about" until he could give her a detailed rundown of whatever subject had been chosen. The diversion resulted in a well-educated hooligan. Destruction of Earth and Gaia Life changed dramatically with the arrival of the Xindi super-weapon. Shauna, James, and his little sister Naomi were among the lucky ones who managed to escape Earth as it was destroyed. An entire year passed aboard a starship, and James furthered his "education" with the tutelage of a former martial arts instructor. By the time the ship reached Gaia, James was already a brown belt in karate. Settling in to their new lives on Gaia, Shauna found not only work...but a chance at a new life. James...well, he found more of the same. He was an excellent student and a trouble child all in the same breath. He calmed down briefly in his mid-teens when he fell madly in love with a girl named Terri. The relationship ended when her father essentially threatened to kill him if he ever saw him on the same street as his daughter. Now a young adult, James worked various odd jobs here and there, mostly getting into continually escalating trouble. A brief romance with a woman named Estelle ended even worse than his previous relationship - it turned out Estelle was married. A fistfight ended with both men in the hospital. James' next relationship landed him in even worse hot water. The girl hadn't told her parents about him...and when they caught the two in her room one evening, she claimed he was an intruder. Barely escaping the irate parents, he was arrested by Starfleet colony security. The colony magistrate, after reviewing his lengthy file, gave the young man a simple choice - prison or the MACOs, then still a separate entity from Starfleet. Selecting the lesser of two evils, James chose the MACOs. Joinng the MACOs, James finally seemed to find an outlet for his combination of boundless energand attraction to mayhem. While he still managed to find trouble, it was nowhere near the levels he used to encounter. He made his way through Basic Training and was assigned to Delta Squad. His career in the Marines has been a slightly rocky one. He has risen as high as Sergeant in rank...but trouble eventually sees him tumbling back down. One of the worst instances seems to be the one that has destroyed his confidence in women altogether. He had (another) girlfriend named Maria. Maria announced one day that she was pregnant. While James was thrilled at the prospect of being a father...Maria had not told her family that she was dating. When her family discovered she was pregnant, she unfortunately told them that she had been raped. The charge almost had James dishonorably discharged from the Corps. Maria finally recanted her lie...but the incident has made James exceptionally wary of women and demoted in rank to Corporal. Personality James is for the most part quite serious about his craft. He is much smarter than he lets on, but almost seems to downplay it. He is as streetwise as he is book smart, and can hold his own in either arena. On the rare occasion he lets his hair down, he can be quite charming. His sense of humor runs a bit dry, and is (by his own admission) an acquired taste. He has had some bad relationships in the past, and tends to keep women at arm's length...especially the beautiful ones. Getting him to reveal anything of his past is a challenge to say the very least. Vital Statistics Date of Birth - April 11th, 2141 Place of Birth - Galway, Ireland, United Kingdom, Earth Age - 30 Height - 5'11 Weight - 192 lbs Hair - Brown Eyes - Brown Race/Species - Human Languages Spoken - English, Gaelic, French, Russian, German, Spanish, limited Portuguese, knows how to swear in Japanese Distinguishing Marks - Multiple tattoos/scars Qualifications *Martial Arts/Hand-To-Hand Combat (fourth degree black belt in karate, black belt in jiu-jitsu) *Weapons *Explosives/Demolitions *Survival: Class K Planetary *Survival: Class M Planetary *Specialist - Urban Warfare Family *William MacManus (Father, deceased) *Shauna MacManus (Mother, currently living on Gaia) *Naomi MacManus (Sister, currently living on Gaia)